Fiona Volpe is a character in the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

film '' Thunderball'', played by Luciana Paluzzi. Paluzzi originally auditioned for the role of

Domino Vitali Dominetta Vitali, known simply as Domino, is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the James Bond novel '' Thunderball''. For the 1965 film adaptation of the same name, her name was changed to Dominique Derval, nicknamed Domino, and she ...

in the film, but was given the role of Volpe. The character does not appear in the

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

, and was originally an Irish woman, but was changed to match Paluzzi's Italian ethnicity: "Volpe" is Italian for "fox".

In the film

In the film '' Thunderball'', Fiona Volpe is a

SPECTRE Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writt ...

agent who seduces

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

pilot Major François Derval (

Paul Stassino Phaedros Stassinos (1930 – 28 June 2012) was a Greek Cypriot actor whose international stage name was Paul Stassino. Early life Stassino was born in Platres and grew up in nearby Limassol, but spent most of his acting career in England. He h ...

) in order to steal his plane with its cargo of two atomic bombs. She then kills her fellow operative Count Lippe (

Guy Doleman Guy Doleman (22 November 1923 – 30 January 1996) was a New Zealand born actor, active in Australia, Britain and the United States. He is possibly best remembered for being the first actor to play Number Two in the classic cult series ''The Pr ...

), who had jeopardized the operation, with a missile fired from her BSA Lightning motorcycle. Volpe meets

(

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

) in the Bahamas, where she gives him a very fast ride in a

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American Car, automobiles manufactured by Ford Motor Company, Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its Ford Mustang (seventh ...

convertible to the hotel at which they are both staying. They have sex, but Volpe then takes Bond captive at gunpoint and insults him. Bond escapes, but Volpe and her men follow him to a nightclub. Bond and Volpe dance, but one of her men attempts to shoot Bond — he spins Volpe into the path of the bullet, and she is killed instantly.

Analysis

Laureen Gibson notes that Volpe wears a gown when she threatens Bond. The clash between the seemingly feminine clothing and the violent action makes her seem especially sinister. Gibson also contrasts Volpe with Domino Derval (

Claudine Auger Claudine Auger (born Claudine Oger; 26 April 1941 – 18 December 2019) was a French actress best known for her role as a Bond girl, Dominique "Domino" Derval, in the James Bond film '' Thunderball'' (1965). She earned the title of Miss France ...

In ''Thunderball'' both Bond girl Domino Derval and villain Fiona Volpe are costumed in low-cut evening gowns. However, the clearly synthetic, metallic blue fabric worn by the female villain contrasts the white chiffon of the Bond girl's dress. Fiona Volpe also wears a large, bright blue
feather boa A boa is a fashion accessory that is usually worn wrapped around the neck like a scarf. Feather boas are most common, although modern boas are most often made with synthetic feathers. Construction A boa can be made of fur, but it is usually ...
— adding to her overly made-up appearance. Her costume reads as unnatural, reinforcing her feminine pageantry."

Kirsten Smith suggests that Volpe is the "classic fictional

femme fatale A ( , ; ), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and Seduction, seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype ...

combining all the elements which make her dangerous but incredibly sexy to the hero, in this case James Bond." Smith goes on to argue that Volpe's downfall comes when she insults Bond: " ... the threat that she now poses to Bond's masculinity means that she must now be killed in order to reassert the traditional gender roles." The character was changed to Fatima Blush (

Barbara Carrera Barbara Kingsbury Carrera is a Nicaraguan-born American actress, model and painter. She is a two-time Golden Globe Award nominee, New Star of the Year – Actress for '' The Master Gunfighter'' (1975) and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Pi ...

) in the 1983 remake ''

Never Say Never Again ''Never Say Never Again'' is a 1983 spy film directed by Irvin Kershner. The film is based on the 1961 James Bond novel ''Thunderball (novel), Thunderball'' by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original story by Kevin McClory, Jack Wh ...

'', and also served as the template for Helga Brandt (

Karin Dor Karin Dor (; born Kätherose Derr; 22 February 1938 – 6 November 2017) was a German actress. She was famous to international audiences for her role as Bond girl Helga Brandt in the James Bond film '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967) and her appear ...

) in '' You Only Live Twice''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Volpe, Fiona Bond girls Bond villains Female characters in film Film characters introduced in 1965 Fictional henchmen Fictional female murderers Female film villains Fictional Italian people